1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to mobile cooking apparatuses. More particularly, the invention concerns an apparatus that is selectively attachable to a vehicle, for transporting a cooking device and positioning the cooking device in an orientation for cooking that permits access to the vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
Outdoor leisure and recreational activities such as camping, fishing, picnicking at the beach or a park, cookouts, road trips, and tailgate parties at sporting events have become increasingly popular. Often, people are transported to these types of outdoor activities in a vehicle such as a truck, pickup truck, sport utility vehicle, or recreational vehicle. Frequently, people partaking in these mobile outdoor activities desire a freshly cooked hot meal.
One way of cooking a hot meal is to build a campfire and cook the meal over the fire. However, building a campfire can require a lot of effort, and creates a risk of fires. Also, campfires are not permitted in many areas. Hot meals can also be cooked on a public barbeque at a campground or picnic area. However, public barbeques are frequently dirty, are in a state of disrepair, or are not available.
Another way of cooking a hot meal is to bring a barbeque in the vehicle, set it up at the camping, picnicking, or tailgating site, and cook the meal on the barbeque. However, transporting the barbeque in the vehicle uses valuable space inside the vehicle, and further, the barbeque cannot be put back into the vehicle until it cools down after cooking.
Another approach has been to permanently attach a barbeque to the exterior of a vehicle. However, it is often undesirable to always have a barbeque attached to the exterior of the vehicle. For example, there is a risk of theft, the barbeque is exposed to the elements for a long period of time, and parking can be problematic.
Yet another approach is to attach a barbeque to a trailer hitch on the rear of the vehicle. Although this has the advantage of permitting removal of the barbeque from the vehicle, this approach has the disadvantage of blocking access to the rear doors or hatch of the vehicle when the barbeque is attached.
In summary, all of the known ways of cooking a hot meal when partaking in mobile outdoor activities have proven inadequate.
One aspect of the present invention concerns a portable apparatus that is selectively attachable to a vehicle, for transporting a cooking device and positioning the cooking device in an orientation for cooking that permits access to the vehicle.
In one example of the invention, the apparatus includes a hitch insertion member, a support arm that is attached to the hitch insertion member, a swing arm that is attached to the support arm with a hinge, a pedestal attached to the swing arm, and a cooking device that is attached to a column that is inserted into the pedestal. As an example, the cooking device may be a propane fueled barbeque.
The hitch insertion member is shaped for insertion into a trailer hitch attached to a vehicle. The hitch insertion member has a hole in a first side, and a hole in a second side aligned with the hole in the first side, for securing the hitch insertion member to the trailer hitch. As an example, the hitch insertion member is inserted into the trailer hitch and is secured to the trailer hitch in a user""s garage prior to driving to a sporting event for a tailgate barbeque party.
The support arm is attached to a base of the hitch insertion member. The support arm has a support arm top hinge hole, and a support arm bottom hinge hole that is aligned with the support arm top hinge hole. The support arm top also has a support arm angle securing hole.
The swing arm is attached to a locking hinge assembly. The locking hinge assembly has a top hinge plate that has a central hole that is aligned with support arm top hinge hole. The top hinge plate also has a plurality of locking holes for selective alignment with the support arm angle securing hole. The locking hinge assembly also has a bottom hinge plate that has a central hole that is aligned with the support arm bottom hinge hole. The locking hinge assembly also has a stop wall attached to the bottom hinge plate to establish the maximum angle the swing arm can rotate in relation to the longitudinal axis of the support arm. The locking hinge assembly also includes a hinge bar that is inserted through the central hole in the top hinge plate in the locking hinge assembly, the support arm top hinge hole, the support arm bottom hinge hole, and the central hole in the bottom hinge plate of the locking hinge assembly, to attach the swing arm to the support arm, and to permit the swing arm to rotate in relation to the support arm.
The locking hinge assembly further includes an angle locking bar, that the user inserts into one of the plurality of locking holes in the top hinge plate and into the angle securing hole in the support arm, to lock the longitudinal axis of the swing arm at a selected angle in relation to the longitudinal axis of the support arm. The selected angle is determined by the location of the locking hole in the plurality of locking holes in the top hinge plate that the user chooses to align with the angle securing hole in the support arm.
Prior to driving the vehicle that the apparatus is attached to, the user swings the swing arm into a closed position next to the support arm, which causes one of the locking holes in the top hinge plate to become aligned with the angle securing hole in the support arm. The user then places the angle locking bar into the aligned holes to lock the swing arm in the closed position next to the support arm.
After the user parks the vehicle at the desired cooking location, the user removes the angle locking bar from the angle securing hole in the support arm, and then swings the nonhinged end of the swing arm away from the support arm, to move the cooking device further behind the vehicle, or to the side of the vehicle, to generally position the cooking device in a desired location for cooking, and to permit access to the rear door(s) or hatch of the vehicle. The user can then lock the swing arm to keep the cooking device at the desired location. The swing arm is locked into position by moving the swing arm to align one of the locking holes in the top hinge plate with the angle securing hole in the support arm, and then placing the angle locking bar into the aligned holes. The angle between the longitudinal axis of the support arm and the longitudinal axis of the swing arm is determined by the location of the locking hole in the top hinge plate that is aligned with the angle securing hole.
The column that the cooking device is attached to is inserted into the pedestal that is attached to the swing arm. The column can rotate in the pedestal, which permits the user to rotate the cooking device to a desired rotation. The user may secure the cooking device at the desired rotation by tightening a column rotation locking bar that, when tightened, presses against the column through a hole in the pedestal.
This example of the invention and other examples of the invention are described in the following sections.
The invention provides a number of advantages. Significantly, the apparatus of the present invention permits swinging the cooking device further behind the vehicle, or to the side of the vehicle, to permit complete accessibility to the vehicle cargo bay via the rear door(s) or the rear hatch of the vehicle, when loading or unloading the vehicle. The apparatus also permits moving the cooking device before or during cooking to optimally position the cooking device, for example, with regard to safety or the wind or sun, and the cooking device can be locked at a desired position. Another advantage is that the apparatus can be quickly moved into position for cooking, and can also be quickly secured for travel. Additionally, the apparatus can easily be temporarily attached to the vehicle prior to driving to an outdoor recreational location, and then can easily be removed from the vehicle when the user returns home. Further, the apparatus is not stored in the valuable interior cargo area of the vehicle, which leaves that space available for additional passengers or supplies. Also, with regard to fire safety, the contained cooking environment of the cooking device provides a much safer alternative to a campfire. Furthermore, the cooking device provides a clean cooking environment unlike many public barbeques. The invention also provides a number of other advantages and benefits, which should be apparent from the following description.